Eighteen- year-old arrested to prevent terrorist attack

THE arrest of an 18-year-old man in north-western Sydney yesterday was made to prevent an imminent terrorist attack, police said.

Tamim Khaja, reportedly a former student of Epping Boys High School, was arrested at Macquarie Park about 10am.

AFP Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said police would allege Mr Khaja was "looking at possible sites in Sydney to undertake a terrorist attack and was making arrangements to acquire a firearm", and also planning to leave the country to join Islamic State.

In a separate case yesterday, police raided several Melbourne properties in relation to the arrest in Cairns last week of five Victorian men who were allegedly planning to travel to Indonesia by boat and then on to the Middle East to join IS.

Their extradition from Queensland has been approved and they are due to appear in a Melbourne court tomorrow.